Portrait of Wesley Coe

Birthday profile

Wesley Coe

Wesley Coe, American shot putter, discus thrower, and tug of war competitor (died 1926)

Born
May 8, 1879
Died
December 24, 1926
Zodiac sign
Taurus
Birth year
1879

About Wesley Coe

Wesley William Coe Jr. (May 8, 1879 – December 24, 1926), sometimes listed as William Wesley Coe Jr., was an American track and field athlete who competed principally in the shot put and also in the hammer throw, discus throw, and tug of war. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Coe competed for the University of Oxford and became the shot put champion of England in 1901 and 1902. He was also the first American athlete to be awarded a "blue." He returned to the United States in 1902 and won the silver medal in the shot put at the 1904 Summer Olympics held in St. Louis, Missouri. Between 1905 and 1907, Coe set world records in the 8-, 12-, and 16-pound shot put events. As a member of the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team, he won the 1906 national intercollegiate championship in the shot put and placed second in the discus. At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London, England, he finished fourth in the shot put. In 1920, at age 41, he won the 56-pound weight event at the British Championships.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

Wesley Coe timeline

  1. A native of Boston, Massachusetts, Coe competed for the University of Oxford and became the shot put champion of England in 1901 and 1902.
  2. He was also the first American athlete to be awarded a "blue." He returned to the United States in 1902 and won the silver medal in the shot put at the 1904 Summer Olympics held in St.
  3. As a member of the Michigan Wolverines men's track and field team, he won the 1906 national intercollegiate championship in the shot put and placed second in the discus.
  4. In 1920, at age 41, he won the 56-pound weight event at the British Championships.

The world when Wesley Coe was born

Wesley Coe was born in 1879. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Headlines and milestones

  • Top headlineThomas Edison demonstrates practical incandescent light bulb
  • Technology milestoneEdison's light bulb — practical electric lighting
  • Notable inventionSaccharin (artificial sweetener) discovered
  • World population~1.39 billion

United States snapshot

  • U.S. leaderRutherford B. Hayes
  • U.S. population45.9M

1879 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in Wesley Coe's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure18792026
Population45.9M341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, Olympedia, Wikidata. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

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